Residents voice concern about THP's Biltmore property

Concerned Residents:

     Skippack residents voiced their growing concerns over the Biltmore properties at Wednesday night’s Board of Supervisors meeting.

      The property on Old Forty Foot Road and Skippack Pike is a THP community that has been in the works for years now.

     Skippack resident Roger Roberts said he and his neighbors have put their own time and money into maintaining the Biltmore area’s landscape because his property looks like a construction site.

     “It looks like absolute hell,” Roberts said.

     Township Engineer Tim Woodrow said he understands Roberts’ frustrations and said Blooming Glen, the contractor, had people working on the properties today after being gone for a month.

     Woodrow said they did fix the hole in the ground and some other public issues that the township has control over. One problem, however, is that the township doesn’t have control over THP’s properties. It cannot require the company to fix some of the other problems. Woodrow said they’re “darn close” to finishing the work for the township.

      Rogers said many smaller scale maintenance projects still needed to be taken care of. The walking trails are littered with trash, tires and other working material. He said the area looks “like a pig pen,” he said.

     Mary Beth LaBelle, who filled in for Chairman Mark Marino, thanked Rogers for coming to the board to shed “new light and vision” to the issues at the Biltmore. She said they have had many issues with the builder and are “happy when he does a little bit” of work.

     Township Manager Ted Locker said he would walk the trails with Rogers and document and photograph the area. The board also agreed to send a letter along with the escrow release to Blooming Glen, urging them to continue with the work in a timely manner.

Other Business:

• The board approved the interim bills paid on July 25, including: the general fund bill for $31,891.95; the sewer fund for $1,227.14; and the park/open space bill for $1,909.37.
• The board also approved bills for payment on Aug. 10 unanimously, including: the general fund bill for $34,938.87; the sewer fund for $64,351.11; and the parks/open space bill for $837.56.
• In the engineer’s report, the board approved the Biltmore’s Phase 1 Escrow Release #14 for $117,357.59 for work that has been completed at this time. The supervisors also voted to release funds for the column construction at the Mensch Road Bridge project. Release #9 is $23,674.98 and the final release is $38,399.50, pending PennDOT’s final approval (signature). The township will also begin to advertise for contracted companies for 2011 and 2012 snow removal.